Maulfist Doorbuster is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
When this creature enters, you get(two energy counters). Whenever this creature attacks, you may pay
Complete guide
Maulfist Doorbuster is a versatile Human Warrior from the Kaladesh block that brings both resources and utility to the battlefield. By generating energy counters upon entry and spending them to remove blockers, it ensures your aggressive plays hit home.
Energy Generation and Management
When Maulfist Doorbuster enters the battlefield, you receive two energy counters ({E}{E}). These counters are placed on you, the player, rather than on the creature itself. Unlike mana, energy counters do not disappear at the end of turns or phases; you keep them until you choose to spend them or an effect causes you to lose them. You can track these using dice, paper, or an Energy Reserve card.
Resolving the Attack Trigger
When Maulfist Doorbuster attacks, its second ability triggers and you choose a target creature to potentially disable. As the ability resolves, you decide whether to pay {E}. If you pay, the targeted creature is forbidden from blocking any creature for the remainder of the turn. Note that you cannot pay multiple energy counters to target multiple creatures with a single trigger, and if the target becomes illegal before resolution, you cannot pay the energy at all.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that the target creature can only not block Maulfist Doorbuster; in reality, the target cannot block any attacking creatures that turn. Additionally, players often try to pay energy before the ability resolves. You must wait for the ability to resolve and the target to be confirmed before you make the final decision to spend your energy.
When to Play It
Maulfist Doorbuster is most effective in decks that can capitalize on high-value energy spending or need to push through a stalled board state. Since it provides its own energy, it is a self-contained engine, but it shines when paired with other energy-generating cards or effects that double its enter-the-battlefield triggers.
Interaction examples
Solemn Simulacrum1. You cast Maulfist Doorbuster. When it enters, you get {E}{E}. 2. On your next turn, you declare Maulfist Doorbuster as an attacker. Its trigger goes on the stack, and you target your opponent's Solemn Simulacrum. 3. Upon resolution, you pay {E}. The Solemn Simulacrum can no longer block this turn, allowing your Warrior to deal damage directly.
Roaming Throne1. With Roaming Throne on the battlefield (having chosen 'Human' or 'Warrior'), you play Maulfist Doorbuster. 2. Maulfist Doorbuster's entry ability triggers twice because of Roaming Throne, giving you a total of {E}{E}{E}{E}. 3. When Maulfist Doorbuster attacks, that ability also triggers twice. You can target two different creatures and pay {E} for each to ensure neither can block this turn.
Energy Reserve1. You cast Maulfist Doorbuster and place two counters on your Energy Reserve. 2. You attack and use one energy to stop a blocker. 3. Even if Maulfist Doorbuster is destroyed later that turn, the remaining {E} stays on your Energy Reserve, available for future turns or other cards that require energy payments.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Maulfist Doorbuster
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Some spells and abilities that give you
may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't get any .No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with any specific permanents.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Keep track of how many energy counters each player has. Potential ways to track this include writing theme down on paper or using dice, but any method that is clear and mutually agreeable is fine. (At higher levels of tournament play, dice may not be allowed for tracking counters that players have.)
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect says you get one or more
, you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more , you lose that many energy counters. You can't pay more energy counters than you have. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana "of any type" can't give you energy counters.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Some triggered abilities state that you "may pay" a certain amount of
. You can't pay that amount multiple times to multiply the effect. You simply choose whether or not to pay that amount of as the ability resolves.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
Some triggered abilities that state that you "may pay" a certain amount of
describe an effect that happens "If you do." In that case, no player may take actions to try to stop the ability's effect after you make your choice. If the payment is followed by the phrase "When you do," then you'll choose any targets for that reflexive triggered ability and put it on the stack before players can take actions.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell or ability with one or more targets states that you "may pay" some amount of
, and each permanent that it targets has become an illegal target, the spell or ability won't resolve. You can't pay any even if you want to.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
The target creature can't block any creatures this turn. The effect isn't restricted to just whether the creature can block Maulfist Doorbuster.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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